Various cable hoist devices have been developed over the years which incorporate a plurality of telescopically arranged masts which are capable of being elevated to substantial heights for lifting loads. One such such extensible hoist is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,187 of J. D. Sumner. Another three masted cable hoist is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,316 of Millard. These cable hoist mechanisms incorporate fixed base structures of fairly large dimension to facilitate efficient stability during lifting operations.
Most cable hoist mechanisms that are capable of extending multiple masts to significant heights are provided with relatively large support bases which are typically wheel mounted to render the apparatus movable on support surfaces such as the floors of buildings. Although these types of cable hoists are suitable for the purposes intended, their large bases, though rendering them safe, typically prevent them from being sufficiently portable so that they can be hauled in small vehicles and efficiently stored and handled in small spaces. Accordingly, it is considered desirable to provide a cable hoist mechanism having a large base structure providing the hoist with efficient stability for safe extension to significant heights and wherein the base is capable of being collapsed to a structure of sufficiently small dimension that the cable hoist can be easily handled, stored and transported.